ight
be ignorant of the fact, as so many people were, but he could assure me
it was so. A clerk at a tourist agency (in some provincial town at
home) had told him all about the matter. And so he had got no passport.
Would I explain these matters to the person in uniform, and inform him
that he would be pilloried in the _Times_ if he did not take great
care of what he was about.

"As this couldn't well be improved upon, I put it into Spanish,
verbatim, and the Carabinero's suspicion grew to certainty. 'Did I know
the senor?' 'No, never clapped eyes on him before.' 'But he was a
countryman of mine?' With a suggestive shrug of the shoulders, 'I
devoutly hoped not.' 'Then it was his duty to make the senor his
prisoner.'

"I imparted this information to Weems, who sweated. 'Can't you do
anything for me, sir?' he implored. I was afraid I could not, and
though I felt pretty sure that he'd be let out of durance vile in about
half an hour, I didn't tell him so. However, as he and his escort were
going off, another thought dawned upon me. 'Are you a Mason?' I asked.
'Yes,' said he. 'Then take the tip and make yourself known. I'm not one
myself, but I know the fraternity is pretty thick here. Ta-ta.' Now the
Freemasons of Mahon are the Halt, the Shoemaker, and the Discontented,
and they are banded together solely because they are 'agin the
Government;' and so, with our luck at its present premium, if they
don't assist to keep Weems laid by the heels longer than otherwise
would be the case, I'm a Deutcheman."

"Poor devil," said I. "What a state of mind he'll be in!"

"'Twon't kill anybody, and it'll do him good. Besides, he thoroughly
deserved twice as much as he's got."

"That's a fact; and I must say you've paid the score cutely."

Haigh grinned. "I've Irish blood in me, old chappie," said he, "and
that means a natural taste for amateur conspiracy and general
devilment. But don't let's stay jawing here any longer. We're both due
for a good jaunt ashore, and there's a bran-new tick here to guarantee
us every mortal thing (bar one) which we want. And for that one, which
is almost always a ready-money commodity, it will do us good to wait
till we've tapped the late blessed Raymond's bank."

CHAPTER VIII.

TWO EVENINGS.

For a rapid, short-lived acquaintanceship, above all other animals upon
this terrestrial sphere, commend me to the Continental drummer. To
commence, he is always easy to chum with quickly, and al